Children’s brains will reach 80 percent of their adult size by their third birthdays. We have the power to help our future leaders’ brains...

Children’s brains will reach 80 percent of their adult size by their third birthdays. We have the power to help our future leaders’ brains reach their fullest potential.

Four words describe the most important activities for parents to consistently engage in with children: Touch, Talk, Read, Play. How do these four, easy-to-remember words impact social and emotional development?

Touch allows your baby to feel safe and loved and instills trust between the two of you. Additionally, with touch, your baby can begin to recognize faces. Using gentle touch to respond to your baby’s cues can comfort him, and contribute to a strong emotional bond.

Talk encourages language development, communication skills and voice recognition. Your little one learns the structure of a conversation when you give her a chance to respond back with coos, gestures, or facial expressions.

Read aids in language development and the reading and writing that will blossom as your baby grows. Story time is a great bonding opportunity for the two of you. Creating a consistent routine that involves reading will teach your little one that his environment is safe and predictable, which in turn will help to develop self-confidence and self-control.

Play has a key role in the development of problem solving, decision-making and creativity, and it can better your baby’s attention span. The experiences during play help to build your baby’s social skills, which is a key component of healthy social-emotional development.

These activities stimulate your baby’s brain by creating more connections every time he or she experiences something new and exciting. As you begin to prepare your baby for pre-school, having skills developed through touching, talking, reading and playing will directly affect his or her social and academic performance.

These are the best gift that children can get. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing and the benefits last a lifetime.